Cruise and Holes reach quick agreement in divorce case

On behalf of Philip A. Greenberg, P.C., Attorneys at Law posted in High Asset Divorce on Thursday, July 12, 2012.

Those who keep up on the latest developments in Hollywood know about the recent divorce settlement between Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise. For those who haven't heard, yet, it took the high profile, high asset couple eleven days to reach an agreement after Katie Holmes filed for divorce in New York.

From the beginning, the couple expressed their desire to keep the divorce private. Though the matter is private, that hasn't stopped the speculation. Scientology is thought to be a large reason for the divorce, and this is supported by a joint statement referring to respecting Cruise and Holmes' "respective beliefs." The settlement agreement, significantly, will allow Holmes to have sole custody of the couple's 6-year-old daughter Suri.

Some popular publications are now calling Katie Holmes something of a divorce wizard for the way she handled the breakup, pointing out that her decision to file in New York and to seek sole custody of their daughter were intended to send Cruise the message that she was willing to fight things out publicly, something that would have a negative effect on Cruise's career.

Of course, much of the details of the settlement are unknown, but speculators have said that the swiftness of the agreement could have been driven because of a prenuptial agreement that left little room for negotiation. Some have speculated that Holmes may have given up the opportunity for a lot of money in order to get full custody of the couple's daughter. That could have been the case if Holmes had agreed not to challenge the prenuptial agreement or demand excessive child support in exchange for primary custody of Suri.

In any case, much of the discussion surrounding the breakup is speculative to one degree or another. Whether or not the divorce was based on Scientology is unclear, but judges always decide custody matters on the best interests of the children. Religion, if a factor, would only have been one factor among others.

One thing is for sure about the case, though, and that is that both Holmes and Cruise save themselves a good deal of money be choosing to handle their divorce the way they did.

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